'Making films is a natural progression for an actor'
Friday, February 24, 2006 11:33:26 IST
Parmeet Sethi who plays detective Omkarnath in the serial Don, desires to take up filmmaking in future. But he's not setting himself any deadlines, he tells PREMA K
A little about your role in 'Don'
As the name suggests, it's a detective serial. It depends heavily on the protagonist. If he's different then the show looks different. We've tried to make detective Omkarnath look different. He has his quirks but has a sense of humour, is well read, well travelled and knows many languages. He has elementary knowledge of everything so it helps him to solve cases. He's very observant and also very respectful towards women. He's also very shy of women (laughs). At times he's serious, sometimes he's entertaining and the show is a good watch for everybody. Housewives and kids who don't like blood and gore will enjoy it and those who enjoy mental stimulation will enjoy the crime solving through mind games.
What excites you about the show?
I've got so much scope to experiment. It's a male-dominated show; something you don't get to do everyday. It's a complete author-backed role. Besides, Star One is the most exciting channel today.
Don't you feel that male-dominated shows don't fetch great TRPs?
I beg to differ here. I did 'Dastaan' and 'Kurukshetra' and both of them were huge hits. There are few women-oriented serials that were aired at the right time on the right channel and went on to become hits. Ultimately, the audience wants something that's different and exciting.
Do you relate to Omkarnath?
It's another character that I'm playing but he is definitely believable and real. It's a well-grounded and rounded character. He's a very average sort of guy, no superhero. He has his flaws and problems but does his job well. Personally I'm nothing like that.
Are you prepared for comparisons with Pankaj Kapoor's 'Karamchand'?
That was very good. It was a huge hit. Comparisons are going to be drawn. I'm ready for it (laughs). Omkar is different from Karmachand. Both the serials are character-driven. They are similar but not same.
Are you doing any other shows?
I'm taking it easy for the time-being. I don't want to fall into a rut. Everyday I see people fainting on the sets; I don't want something like that happening to me. I'm also doing 'Babul' and am waiting for the release of 'Humko Tumse Pyaar Hain'.
Why are television actors being overworked?
It's the evil that starts from the top. The channel does not keep a bank and there are last minute changes too. So every actor has to be on call all the time. There are last minute shoots too. The wages for daily soaps are much lesser so an actor is forced to do more than one daily soap. This leads to day and night shoots. Creating a bank and decent budgets for the actors will solve this problem.
But the budgets on television today are supposed to be good!
Unfortunately it's not passed on to the actors, particularly the newcomers. This is prevalent in every industry. Earlier I did more than one show but now I want to do selective work and charge well.
What do you do on the days that you are not shooting?
I shoot for about 20 days a month. I've just started with this schedule. I relax with my kids and family. I watch a lot of films too.
What genre do they belong to?
One is a science fiction and the other is a romantic story.
Do you see yourself becoming a filmmaker some day?
I see myself becoming one in the distant future. I see it as a natural progression as an actor and being part of this industry. I'm not setting myself any deadlines. I'll do it when the opportunity presents itself. I'm not hung up about it.
How would you like to see yourself five years from now?
Happy (laughs). I want to see myself as a filmmaker who has carved a niche for himself. I want to make different kind of films but obviously they will be commercial.
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